The degrees of Master of Arts and Doctor of Philosophy are offered in Linguistics.

6.16.1 Program of Study

The Linguistics Department offers the M.A. program with both a thesis and a non-thesis option. The M.A. with thesis option is intended for those who have completed an undergraduate major in Linguistics with satisfactory standing (a B+ average in Linguistics courses). Students interested in the thesis option who have an excellent undergraduate record and a well-defined research plan, yet who do not possess the equivalent of an undergraduate major, will be required to take additional undergraduate and/or graduate courses in Linguistics. Other students are encouraged to apply for the M.A. without thesis option.

The M.A. with thesis option is normally a two-year program consisting of at least 15 credit hours of graduate courses (including Linguistics 7000 and 7001), plus a thesis.

The M.A. without thesis option is normally a two-year program consisting of at least 21 credit hours of graduate courses (including Linguistics 7000 and 7001), plus a research project (Linguistics 6999), which consists of a major research paper in an approved area followed by an oral examination.

The M.A. in Linguistics requires proficiency in a language other than the candidate's first language, as demonstrated by a minimum B grade in a second-year undergraduate language course, or performance satisfactory to the Department in an arranged reading proficiency test. A working or structural knowledge of other languages may also be required for particular programs (e.g., Latin, Greek or Sanskrit for historical Indo-European linguistics, or courses in the series Linguistics 6050-59 or the former 6010-6041).

All M.A. students are advised to consult the Linguistics department's Graduate Handbook for details on program requirements and for general information relating to the graduate program.

6.16.2 Courses

A selection of the following graduate courses will be offered to meet the requirements of students, as far as the resources of the Department will allow. Full information is to be found in the Department's Graduate Handbook.

6050-54 Structure of a North American Aboriginal Language

(Credit restriction: Except where an exemption is supplied by the Head of the Department, a student may not obtain credit for more than one course in the 6050-54 series. Students may not obtain credit for any of the previously offered 6010, 6011, 6020, 6021, 6030, 6031, 6040, 6041 in addition to a course in the 6050-54 series.)

6055-59 Structure of an Uncommonly-Taught Language (Credit restriction: Except where an exemption is supplied by the Head of the Department, a student may not obtain credit for more than one course in the 6055-59 series.)

6100 Issues in Morphosyntax (Credit may not be obtained for both Linguistics 6100 and the former 6001)

6110 Selected Topics in Transformational Grammar

6115 Topics in the Syntax of a Selected Language (Prerequisite: 6001 or 6110)

6150 Principles of Language Acquisition

6151 Selected Topics in Language Acquisition (Prerequisite: 6150)

6200 Generative Phonology

6201 Selected Topics in Phonology (Prerequisite: 6200)

6210 Sociolinguistics (Credit restriction: A student may not obtain credit for both 6210 or the former 6211.)

6212 Selected Topics in Language and Gender

6220 Areal and Temporal Variations in Language

6300-9 Special Subjects

6350 General Romance Linguistics

6390 Franco-Canadian

6400 Comparative and Historical Linguistics

6401 Morphosyntactic Change (Prerequisite: 6400)

6403 Etymology (cross-listed as English 6403)

6410 Comparative Structure of a Selected Language Family (Prerequisite: 6403 or the former 6011, 6031)

6420 English Dialectology I

6421 English Dialectology II

6430 Selected Topics in Linguistic Variation (Prerequisite: 6220 or the former 6211)

Appropriate equivalent credits may be given for courses taken at the Summer Institute of the Linguistic Society of America, or a similar institute. Students are encouraged to attend these institutes. They should, however, consult the Head of the Department as to what courses may be appropriate for credit.